Cowboy up.

our little family spent yesterday evening at the rodeo.

kate and jake joined us.  actually, we joined kate and jake.

they both have hook-ups for dang good rodeo seats.

close enough to get bull snot on your shirt and rodeo rocks kicked into your drink.

and although it smelt like something fierce, it was a good time.

jace fell asleep five minutes into the show.

blaring music, cheering crowd, and the racket of the rodeo didn’t wake him.

so not typical of jace.  the kid was exhausted, obviously.

an hour in he finally woke up.

i had forgotten how much i love a rodeo.  i love a rodeo. 

we should really go more than once a year.

mutton bustin' was our favorite event of the night.

one little cowboy put on a good show.

he wasn’t letting go of that sheep for nothing.  because that’s the cowboy way.

he got drug for half the arena, he still didn’t let go.

he got drug until his boots fell off.  he still didn’t let go.

then his pants followed.  so not kidding.  the little cowboy finished the ride in his underwear.

funniest rodeo moment ever.

the kid was robbed, though.  he deserved first place.  i mean, he finished the ride in his underwear!

note to jami: you need to sign brooke up for mutton bustin'.

and a sidenote: my brother took the first place trophy in mutton bustin' when he was a little chap.

trophy was bigger than he was.  one of his proudest childhood moments i do believe.

brynlee told us she loved the rodeo clown.  except she didn’t think it was a clown. 

a pirate, she called him.  brynlee loved the rodeo pirate.

i think it was because under his cowboy hat he wore a bandanna harley davidson style. 

and she swore that he had an eye patch.

and she also loved that kate bought ice-cream for everyone to share.

we asked jace what his favorite part was and he said ‘the ladies’!

had me laughing for the rest of the night.  he's two.  heaven help us.

we came home smelling like dairy heifer 4-h.

and the kids were so wild. 

neither one of them shut-up from the time we left the rodeo

until 11:00 at night when they finally fell asleep.

they had such a good time.

they played rodeo.  begged and pleaded to go again tomorrow night. 

pretended they were rodeo animals.  and talked about horses and cowboys.

and i labeled rodeo night a success.  because it was.

thanks kate and jake.  you guys are the best.